The story took off the moment Page Six dropped exclusive photos showing Mike Vrabel, head coach of the New England Patriots, and Dianna Russini of The New York Times walking hand-in-hand and embracing at an upscale hotel. According to their report, a spy claimed the two, who are both married to other people, shared breakfast on the patio around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, before slipping into a slow, relaxed afternoon by the pool. Eventually, they were seen unwinding side-by-side in a hot tub for roughly an hour.

A source close to Russini told Page Six that the journalist was at the hotel for a hiking trip with two female friends. Another source close to Vrabel mentioned that he drove to the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, with a close friend. However, eyewitnesses told the entertainment website that they had not seen any friends with them and that Vrabel and Russini were the only ones hanging out. It goes without saying that both public figures were disturbed by the headlines they made.

“These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response,” Mike Vrabel said in a statement to the Post.

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The Athletic, too, published a statement, and by the looks of it, the media house doesn’t seem worried about the development.

“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic said. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”

However, the Patriots have not commented yet. As it is a private matter, it isn’t known whether the franchise will discuss it.

Mike Vrabel has been married to Jennifer since 1999, and the couple shares two children. But unlike Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who prefers to be open about his relationship with his wife, Vrabel has always kept his relationship with his wife private. Meanwhile, Russini married Kevin Goldschmidt in 2020 after years of keeping their relationship under wraps, and they also have two kids.

Mike Vrabel’s professional connection to Russini also goes back several years. Russini’s first NFL beat reporting assignment at ESPN involved covering the Tennessee Titans in 2018, when Vrabel became the team’s head coach. This obviously meant that Vrabel and Russini interacted frequently in a professional setting in Tennessee.

And in 2024, there was a point when the coach wasn’t happy working with Russini. Here’s what happened: She got a call from Vrabel after the coach read reports from aggregators that he was “too fat to work” after the Titans fired him. That aspect was not a part of Russini’s original reporting. Her reporting was taken out of context, and Vrabel wasn’t happy about it.

“He didn’t call me after the piece we did on why he got fired. But the piece calling him a little fat, he wasn’t too happy,” Russini mentioned.

Both public figures have known each other for years. That said, this is not the first time Russini has faced speculation about her professional relationships within the NFL.

Dianna Russini has also faced affair allegations with an NFL GM

Back in 2015, Dianna Russini found herself dealing with a similar situation involving Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan. The controversy began after Russini reported that quarterback Kirk Cousins would take over the Redskins’ starting QB job from Robert Griffin III during the 2015 NFL season. Shortly after the story broke, McCloughan’s wife, Jessica, publicly accused Russini of having an affair with her husband to get the inside scoop.

“I’m pretty sure this info is coming from my husband to his new side chick, Dianna,” Jessica wrote in an X post.

Jessica also made a comment through another post, suggesting that Russini had an intimate relationship with McCloughan to get her story. However, the accusations lacked any supporting evidence, and Jessica eventually issued a public apology.

“I deeply apologize for the disparaging remarks about an ESPN reporter on my personal Twitter account,” Jessica wrote in her statement. “The comment was unfounded and inappropriate, and I have the utmost respect for both the reporter and ESPN. I regret that my actions have brought undeserved negative attention to the Redskins organization and its leadership. My comments in no way reflect the opinions or attitudes of the organization, and I regret that my behavior has in any way negatively impacted the team and its loyal fan base.”

At the time, Russini’s colleagues and ESPN actively defended her against the remarks. Sports writer Jemele Hill also pointed out on X that the affair accusations against Russini reinforced a harmful stereotype about female sports reporters. With that in mind, Russini’s recent interaction with Mike Vrabel could also be seen in a different light than how tabloids have portrayed it.